Jim Pearsall
Reviews By Author
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F-4EJ (Final Flight)Published:
The AircraftThe JASDF is nearing the end of service for their F-4EJ Phantom IIs. They have ordered F-35s as replacements. This aircraft is one of two from the 302nd Squadron which were celebrating the retirement of their F-4s. This one is the black one. They also had a white one. Japan will still have some Phantoms for about a year, depending on F-35 deliveries. The ModelThis kit was originally produced by F-Toys, a Japanese company specializing in pre-painted kits which are easy to assemble and finish. Platz then acquires the molds and makes kits which are pretty easy to assemble, but need to be painted and decals applied. AssemblyThe assembly is not complicated, but to reach a desirable finished model, you need to do some work… more |
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The Army of Pyrrhus of Epirus, 3rd Century BCPublished:
Most of us have only heard of Pyrrhus through the phrase “Pyrrhic victory”, referring to someone who wins all the battles, but loses the war. There’s a lot more to his story than that one campaign, and he was a very successful general, right up to the end, where he was killed at the Battle of Argos in 272 BC. Contents
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A-4 Skyhawk LadderPublished:
The KitThis item comes as a single small PE Fret. It’s the boarding ladder for a 1/144 Skyhawk, the base kit by Platz, and it’s been reboxed by Eduard. Assembly and InstallationI cut the base part from the fret. I formed the ladder legs to 90 degrees from the steps. Then I cut the brace that goes on under the platform, then added the platform. The steps were next, and then the two braces that run from the step support to under the platform. I painted the ladder assembly bright yellow. I also painted the steps and top of the platform flat black, as anti-slip coatings. The wheels were then painted flat black and added to the bottom of the ladder. This may sound quick and easy, but it really wasn’t. The top brackets that go under the top… more |
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P-39Q AiracobraPublished:
The AircraftThe P-39Q was an improved version of the earlier P-39s. Most of them were sent to the Soviet Union through Lend-Lease, but a few were used by American forces. The major difference between the earlier P-39s and the Q model was that the .30 caliber wing machine guns (2 in each wing) were replaced by a pod with a .50 caliber MG, with 300 rounds per gun, giving greater stopping power. The 37 mm cannon in the nose was retained. About a year ago I built the Brengun kit of the P-39D/F/K. Nice kit. So, I volunteered to do this review. Looking at the back of the box, there are decals provided for 3 aircraft. Going from left to right, the first was from the 82nd TRS / 71st TRG, 1944. Reconnaissance aircraft. The second was from the… more |
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F-14D WheelsPublished:
The KitYou get four nicely molded resin wheels. There are no instructions, as Brengun knows that you know what to do with the wheels. Assembly and InstallationNo real assembly required. You have to paint the wheels. I used Tamiya flat black and Testors flat white. I painted them on the sprue, because it is such a pain to handle such small parts. I am always afraid or losing small parts like these. There’s nothing quite as painful as hearing the tweezers go “PING” and knowing that you’re going to have to wrestle the carpet monster for that part, if you can find it. Once the wheels were painted, I removed them from the pour block and used a medium sanding stick to clean them up on the bottoms. Then I had to paint that part of the wheels black again… more |
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Daimler Benz Project F - German ServicePublished:
The AircraftDaimler-Benz designed several large aircraft, Projects A through C, which were designed to carry air-to-ground missiles. These were huge planes, with 6 engines, and they were supposed to carry 5 or 6 of the “Project F” missiles. The targets were supposed to be Allied airfields and other strategic targets. The Project F missiles were powered by a single BMW 018 jet engine. The F would be carried to near the target by the C, then released. The pilot would aim the missile at the target, then bail out through the bottom of the aircraft. The warhead was in the nose, weighed 3000 KG (6600 lb.) and was detonated upon contact. The Project C aircraft apparently never flew, and the F never reached the prototype stage. Therefore, this model qualifies for “… more |
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German Guided Missiles of World War IIPublished:
Here’s another interesting and informative book by Steve Zaloga. He has done a few books for Osprey. By my count (from Wikipedia) this is his 27th Osprey title. He’s doing it right. Contents
Since Mr. Zaloga has already done Osprey books on the V-1 and V-2, these missiles are not covered… more |
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F-5 E/N Tiger IIPublished:
The Northrop F-5 was designed by Edgar Schmued, who had previously been at North American, and was responsible for the P-51 and F-86. The idea for the F-5 was to produce a lighter, less expensive and more maneuverable fighter, going against the 1960s trend of bigger, heavier fighters. The F-5 has been successful, used by more than 20 foreign operators, as well as the US Navy, as an F-5N aggressor aircraft. The ModelPlatz produces model kits, but they also sell a large number of “foreign” kits, ie not from Japan in their store. The web site says this kit is produced by Platz. The box says F Toys/Platz. You get two aircraft in the box, and decals for 3 planes. AssemblyAssembly was fairly simple. Everything slid into place and stayed there.… more |
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Standard Nose F-5 PitotPublished:
The Master products are very fine and well done brass parts to update or repair your kit. In this case, it was an F-5A which I built several years ago, and the pitot tube was badly bent. Also, the guns were barely visible. This set consists of a brass pitot, two 20mm guns, and a fairing which can replace the left gun. The upgrade is pretty simple. You get a .3mm drill. Remove the kit pitot and drill a hole there. The guns require a little more work, as there isn’t a good place to start drilling. I began by using a #1 blade to dig the guns out, then drilled the .3 mm holes. Then I installed the pitot and the guns. I had to use a little filler under the guns to get them looking good. I painted the area with the same gray I used to paint the model, then… more |
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Boeing 737-800, -8 MAX, -700 Landing GearPublished:
The AircraftBoeing’s 737-700, -8MAX and -800 are medium sized “single aisle” jet airliners. They are easily identifiable by their single winglets, which first appeared on the -700. Later 737s have a double winglet. I chose the 737-800 because it’s the variant used by QANTAS, which I flew from Melbourne to Cairns Australia in the spring of 2019. The Scale Aircraft Conversions SetYou get two sets of gear parts in this set. This could be useful if you decide you also want to do a -800 or even a -8MAX. The parts are all white metal, and they fit nicely in place of the kit parts. PaintingIn this case, all of the gear legs were white. Easy to paint. There are a couple of hydraulic shock absorbers which are silver. Also easy. … more |